Study reveals which apps make the most trusted recommendations

Every day, millions of Americans make decisions supported by artificial intelligence (AI). From what route someone should take to get from A-to-B, which playlists to listen to, shows to watch and articles to read, to even who they should go on dates with, AI algorithms are constantly making recommendations.

Innovative Technology Solutions (ITS) set out to identify just how satisfied Americans are with AI recommendations. Innovative Technology Solutions surveyed 2,000 Americans, about which platforms they are most pleased with AI recommendations, which ones they are least satisfied with, and if artificial intelligence suggestions ever trump the recommendations of a flesh and blood friend.

The results revealed an interesting combination of satisfaction with computer algorithms’ suggestions but a prioritization of many real-life recommendations for certain situations.

When asked how happy people are with the recommendations on each of those seven platforms, respondents ranked their satisfaction with GPS the highest, followed by TV/movie streaming, music streaming, restaurant and bar apps, jobs search apps, dating apps, and finally news apps with the lowest satisfaction score.

When compared to the recommendation of a friend, respondents were asked what they trusted more, artificial intelligence, their friend, or both equally.

The majority of people (65%) said they trust a friend’s recommendation of who to date over the suggested choices provided on dating apps. Only 13% of respondents said they trusted the dating app more, and 22% said they trusted both sources equally for recommendations. In six of the seven categories of artificial intelligence platforms, respondents said they trusted their friend’s recommendations over the algorithm-suggested option.

The only category in which respondents reported a higher rate of trust for artificial intelligence recommendations is directions: 46% of respondents say they would trust the GPS recommended route over a friend’s recommended directions.

Tech companies tout that the algorithm generated suggestions and recommendations are aimed at expanding users’ horizons and identifying tangentially interesting material. Innovative Technology Solutions wanted to find out if that was true and asked the 2,000 survey respondents felt as if the AI recommendations introduced them to new concepts and things of interest.

People seem to like the suggestions of artificial intelligence when it comes to streaming music and movies. Nearly half (48%) said they think music streaming AI recommendations broaden their horizons “a lot” and 44% said it does “a little.” Roughly the same amount (46%) said they think AI recommendations for streaming movies and TV has broadened their horizons “a lot” and 48% said it has “a little.”

The future of AI is unclear, however, given a range of scenarios of potential algorithm-aided suggestions, Americans seem less comfortable than with the seven major services offered today.

Baiju NT is the editor in chief and the driving force of Big Data Made Simple. He was one among many big data enthusiasts at Crayon Data, his parent company, to understand the pressing need for a big data resource website at a time when the idea of “big data” was gaining so much attention, and eventually launched Big Data Made Simple in 2013.